Kalaw (;
Shan: ) is a
hill town in the
Shan State
Shan State (, ; , ) is a administrative divisions of Myanmar, state of Myanmar. Shan State borders China (Yunnan) to the north, Laos (Louang Namtha Province, Louang Namtha and Bokeo Provinces) to the east, and Thailand (Chiang Rai Province, Chia ...
of
Myanmar
Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...
. It is the capital of
Kalaw District and
Kalaw Township.
Overview
The town was popular with the
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
* British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
during
colonial rule
Colonialism is the control of another territory, natural resources and people by a foreign group. Colonizers control the political and tribal power of the colonised territory. While frequently an imperialist project, colonialism can also take ...
. Kalaw is the main setting of the novel ''Das Herzenhören'' by Jan-Philipp Sendker.
The hill station is located at an elevation of 1310 metres, 50 km from the Inle lake. Kalaw is famous for hiking and trekking. Many trekking trails ranging from nearby places to
Inle Lake and
Pindaya. The town still feels like a high-altitude holiday resort – the air is cool, the atmosphere is calm and the tree-lined streets still contain a smattering of colonial-era architecture – while the surrounding hills are fine for relatively easy day or overnight treks to Danu, Danaw, Palaung, Pa-O and Taung Yo villages.
In 2022, the town was elevated to a district capital when the
Kalaw District was created by the
Ministry of Home Affairs.
History
Before colonization, the villages that became Kalaw were a part of the
Hsamönghkam chiefdom. In the 1897 census, the eight hamlets that would become Kalaw were listed as having a population of 585 people.
These small villages developed into Kalaw in the early 1900s, as the town hosted a colonial
hill station
A hill station is a touristic town located at a higher elevation than the nearby plain or valley. The English term was originally used mostly in Western imperialism in Asia, colonial Asia, but also in Africa (albeit rarely), for towns founded by ...
established in the 1890s by the British, and subsequently became a popular tourist destination due to its cool climate and beautiful surroundings. The first hotel was established in 1903 by a British couple, and the railway station was inaugurated in 1915.
In 1919, Catholic nuns established a boarding school, and a Methodist school was established in 1928. By 1931, there were 3,621 recorded residents in Kalaw, including a sizable European population. These foreigners largely began to sell their property when
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
broke out, and in April 1942, the
Japanese occupied Kalaw.
During the Japanese occupation, nearly all the foreigners fled Kalaw, while important buildings were turned into a hospital or army camp. Kalaw was bombed by the
allies between March and June 1945, destroying and damaging many buildings.
Following the war, most foreigners did not return, or left following Burma's independence in 1948. After the
1962 Burmese coup d'état, the church schools were nationalized, and some commercial property was confiscated. The military would go on to established a "Command & General Staff College" in Kalaw.
With the introduction of the 28 day tourist visa, Kalaw experienced a significant increase in tourism that grew faster after the 2011 transition to an elected government, with domestic tourism increasing as well.
Notable residents
*
Smith Dun
References
External links
Satellite map at Maplandia.com
Township capitals of Myanmar
Hill stations in Myanmar
Populated places in Shan State
Kalaw Township
{{Shan-geo-stub